1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hammers and, in particular, to a claw hammer provided with an improved fulcrum point on the contact surface of the hammer head to reduce the effort required in removing nails.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
The art abounds with modifications to conventional claw hammer heads in order to aid the carpenter in removing nails which, for some reason, are retained within a wood surface and have been driven in improperly or have struck a knot and cannot be driven completely therein. This type of problem occurs frequently and the carpenter is obliged to waste inordinate amounts of time to remove the nail from the wood and replace it with another nail. Many devices have been suggested for use to increase the speed of removing these unwanted nails. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,835 issued to T. M. Belgard on May 29, 1956, provided a resilient fulcrum which was affixed to the hammer head of a conventional claw hammer. The fulcrum thus provided helped the carpenter in removing nails. However, the increased height of the hammer head prevented the carpenter from nailing as close to the surface as he would normally be required to do. Furthermore, utilizing a device to clamp the revised fulcrum to the hammer head is unreliable because the continual use of the hammer in driving nails causes extreme shock and vibration to the attached device thereby loosening the fit and causing it, after continual use for a period of time, to work loose and possibly cause injury if it flies off the hammer head.
Other devices utilized to accomplish the same end included mechanisms which were inserted into the hammer head in manufacture and required a plurality of pieces to be assembled. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 736,797 issued to G. J. Steele on Aug. 18, 1903. Although the device appears to be rather simple, in actual use the continual driving in of nails causes the auxiliary fulcrum to lose its gripping effect with use and may dislodge from the hammer head causing possible injury. Here again, if the auxiliary fulcrum is allowed to remain fully extended, it does not permit the carpenter to place a nail as close to the wall as he may be required to do.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple device to improve the ability of a claw hammer to remove long nails from a surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a claw hammer with a fulcrum which minimally effects the ability of the user thereof to place nails proximate to a perpendicular surface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a claw hammer with an improved fulcrum for removing nails which will not loosen or fall off during constant use of the hammer.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a claw hammer that is simple to manufacture and contains a minimum of parts while providing an improved fulcrum point.